Hope Alive!

I have spent the last three weeks working with a partner ministry, Hope Alive!, that works to provide sponsorships for kids in different cities to provide school fees, food and other needs. They also have mentoring, tutoring and Bible studies. The first two weeks I was traveling with a team of 8 from a church in IL (I think I've recruited them for a Sunshine Bridge Builders trip!) that came to do VBS programs in three different cities for the kids while they are on break from school. I took the postbus eight hours up to Kampala to meet up with them and then the next day we traveled six hours in a van to Gulu. The road was so bad that we had to drive in the dirt next to it. We spent a week in Gulu working in one of the IDP camps (internally displaced persons). The families have been in the camp since 2001 to escape the conflict with the rebel group the LRA. Some came by choice, others were forced. Since there are peace talks now and the rebel group has left the country, people have started to go back to their home villages. But many are skeptical that peace will last. There were 160 kids, 60 of which are in child headed households. The kids were very excited to have the different activities. One of the staff was sharing his sugar cane with me and I had trouble using my teeth to peel it, so I used his knife.....I'm not so good with knives and it slipped and sliced open my finger....its healing nicely, but I've had to promise not to use knives anymore!! We then made the long trip back to Kampala to do the same program for the kids there and then after that we traveled 2 hours to Masaka to do the program for the kids there. We were very tired by the time we got back and the team left to go home. I then stayed in Kampala to help out with things at their office. I got to go on a field trip with sixty kids and ten leaders to the 'Uganda Wildlife Education Center" (formerly known as the Zoo). We had guides that took us to see the different animals all spread out around the property in natural habitats. The big favorite was the two white Rhinos. While eating lunch there, one of the many monkeys running around was very stealth like and grabbed my leftover food off my plate in the fistfulls...I jumped and scared him, but he tried to get more and ran off. Saturday I head back to Kabale with my friends for the rest of the trip. These last three weeks have been very busy and flown by. Pray for my head and neck as the roads have caused great pain!! Pray too for my friend Shayla and the crisis in Kenya. It has been getting worse again. I am hoping to stay with her for three days on the way home in March. The internet here is sooo sloooww, so sorry about not updating more or more details! The curency here is Ugandan shillings and $10 is equal to 17,000 shillings! Later...Ann

The first two weeks...

Its already been two weeks! Sara leaves tomorrow and I leave for Kampala on the bus. So I thought I'd add some pictures and a glimpse of whats been going on so far.
This is Sara and I in Amsterdam. We spent the first six days in Jinja at a resort on the Nile and watched the kids. There were a lot of monkeys running around!!! I got to sit in on one of the sessions that was briefing everyone on Hope Alive (the program that I will be working with in Kampala for three weeks). We left Jinja and traveled to Kampala and then made it to Kabale in ten hours; bumpy roads, a few stops and a drive through an animal preserve where we saw some elephants, wort hogs, African cob (the picture) and a few others. Also on our trip down we crossed the equator and took pictures. We weren't sure if there would be enough fuel available to get home because the conflict in Nairobi, Kenya has caused a fuel shortage in Uganda. But we did find enough to make it back. My firend Shayla is in Nairobi (I get to stay with her in March on my way back to LA)- she is doing fine, but has seen the effects of the election conflict and has had to stay in her home for five days. Pray for the two sides to reach an agreement! Kabale is at 7,000 feet alt. and very beautiful. We have been able to go to the market and Renee gave Sara and I a list and we had to buy the produce ourselves! Very fun! We also took a boat ride to an island twenty minutes away and hiked around the island and had lunch. Yesturday we visited a family from the church for lunch and today was Sunday so we were able to attend their church. We were very warmly welcomed! The last picture is their church. Please pray for my head-back-neck as it has been quite bad this last week. I think the bumpy roads have affected it and not being at the chiropractor. Brian and I are taking the eight hour bus ride to Kampala tomorrow so please pray for safety and not such bad pains. Also pray for Sara as she travels the next few days back to LA! Thanks for all your prayers!

Happy New Year from Uganda!

We made it! The trip went great, even though we only got like 2 hours of sleep in two days! We flew overnight 9 1/2 hours to Amsterdam and then spent 8 hours in Amsterdam by taking a train into Amsterdam Central and walking around the city and got coffee at the Youth With a Mission book store/ cafe. Then another overnight flight of 8 hours to Nairobi, Kenya then a short one hour flight to Entebbe, Uganda where my friends picked us up (we got all our luggage!) and we drove to Kampala and spent the night at the MAF (mission aviation fellowship) guest house. I was so tired that night I could hardly keep my eyes open at dinner. Today we drove two hours to Jinja where we'll be staying till the 7th at this nice resort over looking the Nile river (there's little Geccos crawling around our room!). Sara and I will be watching/ entertaining- with the help of the pool! six kids, while their parents are in meetings. Its been really warm (high eighties) durring the day and a little cooler at night. We are 8 hours ahead of Chicago time. Thanks for praying! Happy New Year!